US Bombs ISIL Syria Target from Turkey for First Time

The United States on Wednesday launched its first airstrike from Turkey on an ISIL (so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant) target in Syria, as Ankara vowed it was ready to step up its own fight against the Takfiris.

"A US drone today carried out one airstrike in Syria near Raqa," a Turkish official told AFP, referring to the town in northern Syria that the IS group sees as its capital.

The drone had taken off from Turkey's southern Incirlik air base, which Ankara has now opened to the US military for armed attacks on ISIL targets in Syria just 200 kilometers (125 miles) away, the source added.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier announced that Turkey was ready to begin a "comprehensive" fight against ISIL terrorists in Syria alongside the United States, after months of staying on the sidelines of the US-led coalition.

The Pentagon announced this week that US armed drones had taken off from Incirlik to conduct missions over northern Syria, but this was the first time an airstrike had been carried out.

Turkey has been reluctant to step up fight against ISIL. Media reports repeatedly said that Ankara has been aiding ISIL terrorists against the Kurdish fighters and against the Syrian government.

However, deadly attacks, blamed on ISIL, recently rocked Turkey, prompting Ankara to allegedly step the fight against the Takfri group.

According to media reports some 30 US fighter jets are due to arrive at the facility in the coming days in order to take part in the operation.